The LuLac Edition #2436, June 1st, 2013

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo. 

MAYBE I'M AMAZED

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that there are people who have decided that Tom Corbett might win a second term. A lot is going to depend on whether he can get his ill fated liquor bill passed. Normally an incumbent should have an easy ride but Corbett seems to be making it hard to like him. The other day he couldn’t tell a questioner whether he had any Hispanics in his administration even though he had a task force on the state level to deal with those issues. Corbett though is defensive and combative when called out. He is an interesting case study in Pennsylvania politics. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that last week the top choice of celebratory milk to be poured on the winner of the Indy 500 was 2% Milk. It is tradition to dump a bottle of milk on the Indy Winner and a majority of drivers picked the 2%. The LuLac household favors skim. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that there are people talking about returning to the Commissioner form of government in Luzerne County. Even though I have been critical of some moves, you just can’t chuck this thing out on its ass. The mistakes being made are, as a wise poster commented the other day, mistakes of process, not criminal. It will say a lot about us if we return to the old ways that made us the laughing stock across the world. Watch the people who want a return to the old government. Most likely, they had their heads up the butt of the powers that be and are feeling left out now. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that on the day after former President Jimmy Carter visited the area, a local newspaper put up a cartoon depicting President Obama as Carter, not Nixon. It would have been be nice if they waited a day. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that during the year 1970, there were many one hit wonders that made it to the top ten. Among them, “Spirit In the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum, “The Rapper” by the Jaggerz, “Venus” by the Shocking Blue”, “Baby Take Me In Your Arms” Jefferson, “Hey There Lonely Girl”, Eddie Holman, “Reflections of My Life” by Marmalade, “Ride Captain Ride” by Blues Image, “Vehicle” by the Ides of March, “Lay A Little Lovin’ On Me” by Robin McNamera, “In the Summertime” Mungo Jerry, “My Baby Loves Lovin” by White Plains, “Are You Ready?” by Pacific, Gas and Electric, Joanne” by Michael Nesmith, “Tighter, Tighter” by Alive and Kickin’, “Gimme Dat Ding” by the Pipkins, and these two, “Long Lonesome Highway” by Michael Parks and “Go Back” by Crabby Appleton.  
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..at how often we struggle and fight against immigration reform in this country and then years later decide it’s a good thing. The following is not meant to trivialize the importance of immigrants coming to this country. But a few weeks ago, I heard a Food Critic talking about Chinese Food. He said that prior to 1965 when the late Senator Phillip Hart from Michigan spearheaded an exemption for Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants, there was no authentic cuisine from that part of the world. What existed was what Americans thought Oriental Food should be. The only Chinese I ever had as a kid growing up was Le Choy! My point is that places like a Chinese Buffet don’t exist in a vacuum. And many of the Oriental immigrants who came to this country in the 60s were not just cooks. They were professionals who saw America as a chance to prosper and grow. If it takes something as innocuous as Chinese food to make the point here, all the better.

The late Marty Blake, circa 1960s. (Photo: www.stltoday.com)
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….at the little notice the death of Marty Blake got in this area’s media about six weeks ago. Marty Blake grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and one of his first jobs was as a score keeper for the old Wilkes Barre Basketball Barons. He later went into the front office doing various promotions. In 1954, Blake moved to Milwaukee and became the GM of the Hawks. The team later moved to St. Louis winning a title in ’58. Later, Blake drafted Lenny Wilkens. The Hawks then moved onto Atlanta. Blake came back to Pennsylvania to be the GM of the ABA Condors in Pittsburgh. He then spent the next 36 years before his death as the Director of Scouting for the NBA. I never bought one because I’m not a rabid Basketball fan but Blake put out a yearly compendium called “Marty Blake & Associates Draft Book. Two of his unheralded finds were Scottie Pippin and John Stockton. Blake was 86. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..at the stupidity of alleged criminals like Leo Glodzick of LAG Towing. The guy is under scrutiny, people are calling for his head. His every move is being chronicled by citizen activities. And still he falls into a sting operated by the FBI. The questions must be asked, are you that stupid or are you that greedy? Mayor Tom Leighton, finally, finally suspended the Towing contract with the City of Wilkes Barre. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that the St. Louis Cardinals keep on rolling along. Next to the New York Yankees, the Cards have the most World titles. Sports Illustrated had a fascinating fact last week. Since 1902, a young person growing up in St. Louis, or a Cardinals fan, only had to wait until the age of 25 to see a World Series Championship or parade.